Cash register



Dec, 24, 1929' w. KROPFF L -CASH REGISTER Fil ed Nov. 26. 1926 3 Wilhelm Krop Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE- WILHELM KROLPFF, OF BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CASH REGISTER Application filed November 26, 1926, Serial No. 150,817, and in Germany January 29, 1926.

This invention relates to cash registers and like machines, and more particularly to those machines which are adapted to print on an inserted slip. i

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and reliable mechanism which will prevent the release of the machine if no slip is inserted in the printing position.

l/Vith this and incidental objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forthin appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to, the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification.

Of said drawingsi Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the release mechanism and the slip feeling mechanism in its normal position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing, by full lines, the position assumed by the parts when a slip is in the machine, and by dotted lines, the position assumed by the parts when no slip is inserted and attempt is made to oper ate the machine.

The machine includes a main drive shaft 11 from which the various parts of the cash register are driven. The shaft is retained in its home position by a pawl 13 held in engagement with a shoulder 12 on a disk 10 secured to the shaft. A spring (not shown) constantly tends to rotate the pawl 13 counter-clockwise to release the main drive shaft 11. Thepawl 13 carries a pin 14 embraced by the forked end 15 of an arm 16 fast on a shaft 17. Also fast on this shaft is an arm 18 having a hook shaped end 19 normally contacting a flattened stud 20 carried by one arm of a bell crank lever 21 loose on a stud 22. It can be seen from the above description that if the bell crank lever 21 is rockedclockwise to remove the stud 20 from contact with the hooked end 19 of arm 18, the pawl 13 will be rocked counter-clockwise far enough to remove the end thereof from its engagement with the shoulder on disk 10.- The disk and'shaft 11 are then free to rotate, thus permitting the operation ofthe machine to begin.

Release keys 23 are provided to release the machine after the necessary amount, transaction and like keys (not shown herein) have been operated. Each of these release keys carries. a pin 24. These pins are adapted to. cooperate with an arm 25 pivoted at 26 and normally tending to rock in a counter-clockwise direction due to a spring 46 stretched between a projection of the arm 25 and a pin on the key frame. This arm 25 is connected by a yoke 27 to another arm 28 which, at its lower end, is bifurcated and surrounds a pin 29 carried by the upper end of a lever 30,

whichis pivoted near its center on astud 31..

Also freely mounted on the stud 31 is a feeling arm 32 which has a widened feeler end 33 adapted to pass through openings 34: in guides 35 for the inserted slip 36 in case there is no slip between said guides. The extent of movement of the arm 32 is determined by the presence orabsence of a slip, as will be later described. Rigidly connected to the feeling arm 32 by means of a hub is a short arm 37 connected by a toggle lever formed of links 38 and 39Ito the short arm 40 of the bell crank lever 21. Still another link 41 connects the pivotal point of the toggle links 38 and 39 with the lower end of the lever 30. i

Operation The mechanism operates in the following manner: When a release key 23 isdepressed with a slip 36 inserted between the guides 35, the arm 25 is rocked clockwise against the tension of its spring 46, and the arm 28 is rocked I As the friction between hook 19 and stud 20 offers greater resistance than the weight of the feeling arm 32, the pivotal point of the link 39 with arm 40 of lever 21 is maintained in the position shown in Fig. 1. The toggle, therefore, extends in an upward direction and lifts the feeling arm 32 by means of the short arm 37.

As soon, however, as the feeler end 33 of the feeling arm contacts with the inserted slip, the upward movement of the toggle stops, and as the lever 30 has not yet completed its counter-clockwise movement, the links 38 and 39 are extended downwardly, thus moving the lever 21 in a clockwise direction and forcing the stud 20 off of the hooked end 19 of arm 18. This allows the arm 18 to rock counter-clockwise under the action of its spring (not shown) and, through arm 16, rock the pawl 13 away from the disk 10. The parts are shown in the positions justdescribed, in full lines in Fig. 2.

The pawl 13 and release key 23 are restored to their normal positions, towards the end of the operation, by mechanism not shown herein, and the lever 21 and associated mechanism are restored by springs 46 and 45.

If no slip is inserted in the machine be tween the guides 35 and a release key 23 is depressed, the arms 25 and 28 are rocked as above described, thereby rocking lever 30 counter-clockwise in order to straighten the toggle formed by the links 38 and 39. As

there is no slip in the machine, the feeler end' 33 of the arm 32 passes through the openings 34 in the guides '35 and, therefore, there is nothing to prevent upward movement of the toggle and it extends upwardly to the limit of its movement.

The release lever 21. therefore, cannot be moved and the release of the machine will not be effected. The positions of the parts as inst described are shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. It can be seen that it is impossible to release the machine unless. a slip is inserted therein between the guides 35.

Vhile the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Wh at is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a machine releasing lever, a feeler arm, a toggle connection between said lever and arm, manipulative means, and means operable by said manipulative means for changing the angular relation between the members of said toggle for moving said lever and arm.

2. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a machine releasing means,

record feeling means. manipulative means, and means operated by said manipulative means for transmitting movement from said manipulative means first to said feeling means and then, upon arrest of said feeling means by record material, to said releasing means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a machine releasing means, record feeling means, means to maintain the releasing means against movement until the record feeling means is arrested, common operating means connected to both releasing and feeling means for imparting movement thereto, and manipulative means for causing movement of said operating means.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a machine release lever, a record material fceler arm, means to maintain the release lever against movement until the feeler arm is arrested, a normally broken toggle connected to said release lever and feeler arm, means for straightening said toggle to operate said feeler arm first and then said release lever when said feeler arm is arrested by record material, and manipulative means for actuating said last mentioned means.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a releasing member; record material; feeling means adapted to contact said material; means to maintain the releasing member against movement until the feeling means is arrested by the record material; a toggle intermediate said member and said feeling means; means for extending the toggle to operate said feeling means first and then said member when record material is present, the absence of record material permitting operation of said feeling means and preventing operation of said member; and manipulative means to actuate the toggle extending means.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a releasing member record material; feeling means adapted to cooperate with said material to control said member; a toggle adapted to be extended in one direction to operate said feeling means and in another direction to operate said member when the record material is present; and manipulative means to operate said toggle.

7. In a machine of the class described. the combination of a normally locked, machineoperating device; a releasing member therefor; feeling means adapted to cooperate with record material when present in the machine; a toggle adapted to be extended, first in one direction to move the feeling means until arrested by record material, then in another direction to operate said member to release the machine; a lever for operating said toggle: and manipulative means for operating said lever.

8. In a machine of the class described, a combination of a normally locked machine operating device; a releasing member therefor; feeling means adapted to cooperate with record material when present in the machine; a toggle interposed between said member and said feeling means; means to operate said toggle; said member and feeling means being so mounted relative to each other that during the absence of record material, the power of the toggle is applied to said feeling means, and during the presence of record material, the power of the toggle is divided, part being applied to the feeling means and part being applied to the releasing member.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a normally locked machineoperating device; a releasing member therefor; feeling means adapted to cooperate with record material when present in the machine; a toggle normally flexed and interposed between said member and said feeling means; a lever for applying force at the toggle knuckle to operate the releasing member and the feeling means; means to maintain the releasing member against operation so that all power from the toggle operates the feeling means until said feeling means is arrested by the record material, whereupon the power from the toggle is shifted to the releasing member to operate it to release the machine;

and manipulative means to actuate said lever.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a drive mechanism for such machine; latching means to hold the drive mechanism ineffective, the latching means including a release lever; of manipulative means to trip the release lever; connections between the manlpulative means and the release lever, such connections lncludmg a normally flexed toggle lever; means operated by the manipulative means to straighten the toggle lever; and a feeler operable by the toggle lever to determine whether the straightening of the toggle shall extend the toggle in one direction only, or in both directions, depending upon the presence of an obstruction in the path of the feeler.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a drive mechanism for such machine; latching means to hold the drive mechanism ineffective, the latching means including a release lever; of manipulative means to trip the release lever; a toggle lever connected to one end of the release lever and operable by the manipulative device; and a feeler connected to the opposite end of the toggle lever and adapted to determine whether the toggle shall rock the release. lever or the feeler depending upon the presence or absence of an obstruction in the path of the feeler.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a drive mechanism for'such machine; latching means to hold the drive mechanism ineffective, the latching means including a release lever; of manipulative means to trip the release lever; an extensible and collapsible member connected at one end with the release lever and operable by th manipulative device; and a feeler connected with the opposite end of the member and adapted to control the direction of transmission of the power applied to the manipulative device.

13. In a machine of the class described, the 

